For Women:
Guerlain = divine this is a perfumer who actually seems to appreciate real women. And the scents are so well crafted that they smell amazing on all genders.
Dana = classic vintage feminity in all its many forms (Raffinee, Tabu, Chantilly, Canoe, Ambush - something for everyone)!

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

For me it is very hard question.
Fragrance Industry is not a sport industry where they can win and loose, and make final match with extra-time, golden goal and penalties...
For me Fragrance Houses are more like a artists!
How you can say that Baudelaire is winner over Tolstoy, or Picasso demolished Renoir in a Champion Match by penalties?
Yes, everyone could be a fan of some Team, or Fragrance House... But now I`m doing my best to remain eyes (and nostrils ) widespread and open to every good fragrance - no matter who did it...

Houses released so many frags, with guidance of different art-directors and noses, they`ve got good and not-so-good scents, masterpieces and populars; they have trendsetters and nothing-to-say-about-ho-hums...

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Originally Posted by moon_fish

For me it is very hard question.
Fragrance Industry is not a sport industry where they can win and loose, and make final match with extra-time, golden goal and penalties...
For me Fragrance Houses are more like a artists!
How you can say that Baudelaire is winner over Tolstoy, or Picasso demolished Renoir in a Champion Match by penalties?
Yes, everyone could be a fan of some Team, or Fragrance House... But now I`m doing my best to remain eyes (and nostrils ) widespread and open to every good fragrance - no matter who did it...

Houses released so many frags, with guidance of different art-directors and noses, they`ve got good and not-so-good scents, masterpieces and populars; they have trendsetters and nothing-to-say-about-ho-hums...

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

moon_fish,

I completely agree with what you said. However, I don't think many ppl are saying certain houses are better than others but rather the houses that produces scents that they enjoy more than other houses

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Originally Posted by myaccolades

moon_fish,

I completely agree with what you said. However, I don't think many ppl are saying certain houses are better than others but rather the houses that produces scents that they enjoy more than other houses

Yes, myaccolades, and that`s also my point!
I`m not a fan of some House for my whole life - my tastes changes, as everything in this world.
Houses make new scents that could become my favourites.
But anyway - I refuse to say even in terms of my integral (scents, designs, nose talent, house history, innovation in perfume industry, wearability, popularity, etc.) pleasure of House.
I`m looking for new successes of Guerlain, Fr.Malle, Serge Lutens and going to try their new releases. And trying to get something common in their style.

I`m not argue with people sharing their ratings of Perfume Houses. I`m glad that some fellow Basenoters could do that ratings.

I`m just speaking for myself. I have some reasons to refuse make a rating...

`Sit down, moon_fish. Very bad! Tell your parents should come to school tomorrow!`

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

If I had to pick one house...? *
Even though Zino's my favorite, it's the only Davidoff that I've liked so far.
YSL pour Homme is probably my greatest all purpose cologne, but I pretty much can't stand anything else by Yves Saint Laurent.
The last time I answered Chanel on the strength of Egoiste, Allure and Antaeus--but I've since done a 180 on Antaeus and don't ever want to wear it again.
So, I'm going with...
Hermes.

Equipage
Bel Ami
and
Eau d' Orange Verte

Oh, and if we're talking niche, then I guess I'd have to pick the only one with which I have any familiarity: Caswell-Massey.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

As many have mentioned, this is a hard question, almost unfair. There's a lot of houses that produce great stuff, and many are represented in my wardrobe. So, to answer the question, I asked myself &quot;is there a house that produces a number of fragrances that I really enoy, and none that I hate?&quot;:

Creed - the first house that popped into my head. I've enjoyed virtually every scent I've tried from this house since the first bottle of Millesime Imperial started this crazy journey

Aramis - as someone above mentioned, Aramis just hasn't made a bad scent....however, I've been somewhat disappointed with some of their recent offerings (e.g. Aramis Life). But the run they had in the 80's and 90's is hard to beat.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Hermes

For one, life without Terre is simply not possible -- no Terre? --> ...I die!
also, Hemes keeps it INTERESTING. JM, Bel Ami, Voyage, Poivre Samarcande... their creations are incredibly unique and so full of personality. You can build true relationship with their scents. ...you wear them, love them, try to understand them, reinterpret their meanings... After some 20 years of Equipage you may find yourself talking to the bottle, asking it "WHO ARE YOU???"

...oh, and they didn't resort to Aoud and Liquid desert dust to please anyone.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

I am by no means saying it's the best House, but if I could only choose from one it would be Parfums de Nicloai. I am amazed at how much I am liking everything from PdN. I do not have a sophisticated nose yet and expect my tastes might change over time.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Moonfish is of course right...

With a single exception, I like particular scents rather than houses. The three houses whose scents most please me are Caron, Chanel and Guerlain. I do not care particularly about Chanel as a house/brand - they leave me cold. But their Cuir de Russie is superb, and near the very top of my list of anything I have smelled. I have mixed feelings for Guerlain - on the one hand, they have some masterpieces, but (considering their being a 'house' as a separate thing) I think they try too hard with their branding. They shout at one from the street with their promises of elegant illusions and the depth of history. It is all rather strained.

The only house that I like on the basis of itself is Caron. Caron is discreet. It does not insanely inflate the cost of its productions (the exclusivity strategy of Creed, which Guerlain and Chanel also follow). They are quite 'true' to their perfumes with respect to reformulations (I incline to believe this), and only add new perfumes to their modest line-up very cautiously - so they have an air of being thoughtful and judicious. This has, to me, an almost moral quality, which is only enhanced by their long affiliation with female perfumers, and creating scents in the cause of female triumphs in various fields. And they have some superb scents, such as Caron Pour un Homme, Tabac Blond and En Avion.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

For me it would most definitely be Creed. Not only because they have some wonderful frags, but because the lineup is vast and diverse. I could easily give up all other houses, and have something from Creed to choose for a variety of settings - casual, sporty, dressy, formal, office settings, and the list goes on.

In using an automobile analogy, I would say it's not necessarily the Rolls of scent (maybe Amouage or Clive?), but certainly Benz, due to a good combo of quality and quanitity.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

7 years later. I still favor Creed, but I can't believe I picked Boss and Polo. I'd take YSL for the designer house now.

Originally Posted by ChuckW

Niche: CREED

Designer: Hugo Boss. A versatile little line when you think about it. Del Mar, Baldessarini, Boss Bottled, Boss Soul, Hugo, Dark Blue, The one that's a ball...A good mix of heavies and lights. You could cover all your needs and seasons.

Re: The BEST Fragrance House

Originally Posted by moon_fish

For me it is very hard question.
Fragrance Industry is not a sport industry where they can win and loose, and make final match with extra-time, golden goal and penalties...
For me Fragrance Houses are more like a artists!
How you can say that Baudelaire is winner over Tolstoy, or Picasso demolished Renoir in a Champion Match by penalties?
Yes, everyone could be a fan of some Team, or Fragrance House... But now I`m doing my best to remain eyes (and nostrils ) widespread and open to every good fragrance - no matter who did it...

Houses released so many frags, with guidance of different art-directors and noses, they`ve got good and not-so-good scents, masterpieces and populars; they have trendsetters and nothing-to-say-about-ho-hums...

So - I do not know my answer to this question!

Fair enough

Still, some houses are more consistent than others in putting out truly well made fragrances.

My vote for Guerlain, it is on a league of its own. Hard to beat masterpieces like Apres l'Ondee or Shalimar.
And runner up is Hermes: I find their releases very... consistent. Having a in house nose is probably a winning point, and Ellena is a true artist.